Method of winding thin threads or filaments



Sept. 9, 1941. A. LAMESCH 2,255,426

mETuon 0F hummer THIN THREADS 0R FILAMENTS Filed Sept. 25/1957 Federated Sept. 9, T941 S PATENT OFFICE METHOD. or WINDING THIN THREADS on 1 FILAMENT'S Armand Lamesch, Herzog'enrath, near Aachen,

Germany, assignor to S Manufactur Carl Tielsch G. in.

burg Altwasser iiiis invention relates to the production of threads or filaments of glass or substances having properties similar to those of glass and has for its object to provide an improved method of winding such threads or filaments on a drum or spool whereby the disadvantages connected with existing methods are avoided.

The difficulties whi h have to be overcome when winding threads or filaments upon a spool, particularly during the spinning of glass threads,

are due to the high circumferential speeds used in operation, because the action of centrifugal force and, to an even greater extent, the action of the air displaced by the rotation, render it difiicult to apply the threads to the spool. For eliminating these influences it has been proposed to employ drums in the interior of which subatmospheric pressure prevails whereby the-filaments are drawn towards the spool by suction. This proposition, as well as another according to which the filaments are wetted or :rendered sticky or other known complicated methods involve expensive equipment and require much space and in particular involve the employment 'of large drums which cannot be mounted on the I usual yarn making and twisting machines and therefore render rewinding necessary prior to this operation.

The method according to the invention enables filaments to be wound in a much simpler and effective manner. The method consists in effecting the winding within a layer of air separated from the outside air by a shell or jacket which is substantially concentric to the spool,-

said layer of air thus being protected from the disturbing influences of the outside air and also of the air accelerated by the end surfaces of the spool. In this layer of air currentsand variations of the intensity of the static pressure conditions are created. The velocity of the air current carried along by the spool in the direction of its rotation is reduced in a direction from the spool surface towards the stationary shell or jacket and at the same time the static pressures in the same direction increase. A body introduced into this air current is, owing to the pressure difierences acting in the direction of the radius of the spool upon its surface, subjected to forces which tend to guide it towards the spool. This action is particularly strong in the case of threads or filaments, especially glass filaments, because they have a very great surface area relative to their mass.

Preferably, within the space bounded by the shell or jacket, the filament is guided through a chlesische Spiegelglasb. IL, Walden-- Application September 23, 1937, Serial No. 165,370

' In Germany October 1, 1936 r 3 Claims. (01. 49-17) zone of reduced'cross section, in which an increased reduction of the static pressure in the direction-of the spool surface tends to draw the filament to the cylindrical surface of the spool against the action of the centrifugal force.

It is particularly advantageous to cause additional outside air to enter through'the openings provided in the stationary'shell or jacket, which is conveniently made of smooth sheet metal without projections to prevent turbulence in the air layer, into the air current moving between the spool and the shell or jacket, thereby producing a direct air stream in the interspace for drawing the filament to a still greater extent towards the spool.

The principle underlying the invention having been explained above, the invention will now be more particularly described with reference to the accompanying drawing which shows by way of example one form of a device for carrying out the method described and wherein Figure 1 is a side view partly-in section, of the device and Figure 2 is a front elevation thereof.

Referring to the drawing, 1 is a thread producing means comprising, in the embodiment shown, an apertured heating device 2 in which glass rods tare caused to melt.

aperture 3 a particle 5 of molten glass is discharged which draws after it a thread or filament 6. I is the core of a winding drum rotating at suitable speed in the direction indicated by arrow 14 and 8 are side cheeks for laterally limiting the drum and which are of such a width that they project somewhat beyond the shell or jacket I3 surrounding the spool to protect the wound glass threads from the action of the air 9 thrown off by the outsides I0 of the cheeks 8.

The shell or jacket for separating the air layer carried along due to friction relative to the circumference of the drum from the outer air preferably comprises an inclined channel-like member l2, which may be constructed also for instance in such manner that the particle of molten glass is guided to the spool not only tangentially but at the same time in a radial direction,

and a member l3 concentric with the core I. The member 12 serves as receiver and collector for the particles 5 issuing from the device I and represents, furthermore, that portion of the de- V106 within which, according to the invention, the

space between the jacket and core is reduced in cross section in the direction of rotation of the surface of the spool. The air current drawn by the spool in the direction of the arrow IS in creases in speed, so that the static pressure is Through each decreased. The pressure in the spacebetween the core and Jacket is lower in the member I! ,4 than the pressure or the outer air. This differthe material moving away irom the source and connected by threads of the material to the source, a rotatable spool at one side of the path of the drops, a longitudinally slitted sleeve surrouning the spool, and flanges on the ends of the spool extending into proximity to the sleeve, one

- of said slits being open towards said source in portion l2 oi the Jacket and draws a thread 6 after it, and when the particle 5 and the threads 6 pass into the member I 3 of the jacket, both will be moved in the direction of rotation of the spool l owing to the prevailing conditions of flow.

Finally, the influence oi centrifugal force upon the particle and the adjacent thick portion or the thread will become preponderant owing to the large masses of the particle and thick portion and theyaswellasallexcessivelythickpartsorthe thread will no longer be passed along and are not wound up but will break of! from the thread and be thrown out through a suitably shaped opening II in the jacket.

The portions oi the thread wound upon the spool l are those upon which the action of cen- -trii'ugaliorceislessthanthedrawingactionoi the spool, or, in other words, these portions have the proper diameter required for subsequent use.

'ToreplaceaiullywoundspoolanqwspoollL.

is simply-displaced'along the shaft ll without stow s the device, and allowance is made for this in the arrangement oi the jacket. 7

By the application-oi known methods a pluraiity oi. single threads ta, lb, etc., can be adspun at the same time and composition to receive'the drops in their movement from the supply, one slit being positioned 'for' passage of the drops away from the spool, and other slits having their edges turned to direct air towards the spool.

2. The method of winding upon spools thin threads 'oi'material having properties similar to those oi glass, which consists in shielding from the surrounding air a concentric layer of air around a spool upon which thread is to be wound,

against the threads and blowing the threads towards the spool.

3. The method of winding upon spools thin threads of material having properties similar to thou 01 glass, which consists in shielding from the surrounding air a concentric layer of air around a spoolupon which thread is to be wound, the shielding being complete at the ends of said layer but discontinuous around its circumference, rotating the spool; passing threads into said layer through the shield and into contact with the spool, winding the threadson the spool and passing air through the shield into said layer and against the threads and blowing the threads to wards the spool and regulating the air currents and the speed of rotation so that the desired fine thread is blown into contact with the spool but undesirably thick portions oi said thread are thrown 'by centriiugal force away from the spool andout through the shield. 

